Retort charger



Sept. 15, 1925.

l. D. THOMAS RETORT CHARGER Filed Aug. 28 1924 3 Sheets-Shea} 1 up hil 1 I I. D. THOMAS at'roa'r CHAR-GER Filed Auz. 28. 1924 s Shets-Shept 2 Sept. 15, 19.25. 1,553,841

Sept. 15; 1925.

l. D. THOMAS RETORT CHARGER Filed Auz. 28, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet a,

"IIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIII ll zw M W5 Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

1 PATENT; O-F-F'lC-Ei;

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' Application-filed August as, .1924.- Serial 1Wof734J02.

Be it known thatLI, IvoR -D..,v-Ti oMAs,"a citizen of the United States,residing at Pal- I myra', in the county of PortageandqState of Ohio; have invented ascertain new and useful Improvement in Retort .Ghargers, of whichithe'following is, a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates;

ofthe type inlwhich the retorts are charged from a hop'pervhaving San outlet vadapted to deliver into the charging opening of the re tort, and more particularly to chargers of the hopper car type adapted-to travel along:

' a track above one or more; rows "of retorts and having one or more hoppers provided with outlets adapted to be positioned to de-: liver into the: charging opening stof the re, torts; t i: =r'-. :i;i

jIn hoppers of the character referredto it is necessary that'jthe lower end [portion of the :ghopper adjacent I the discharge gato be of sufficiently construction to "withstand the slrzearingaction which takesfplace stream'of material'discharging through the' outlet, the iinpactlof material "falling from v arches.- which i form: within the hopper dur ing discharge of :the'materiahjandjthe' abuse incident to poking which at "times necessary to causeithe material to discharg'e freely from the'hopper. For these reasonszthefldlsc har'ge portions of such hoppers have-jheretofore made of castingsj'and attachedf-to'itheflower end of the bodybi the; h pper which is usually constructed of sheet :fimetal. K 11i former constructions {it *hasbeen-adifliciilt matter the discharge sectiom ma;y-'b,e readily I removed-andreplaced bya new one.

Morefspecifically it is the object ofthe invention fito providethe hopper body and the discharge section: with independent supports byfmeans oftwhich they" may be se-i cured in: suchpo sitions that the lower end of the hopper body projects into the discharge section, relative sizes of the interfit ting parts of the body portionanddischarge section being such that there is a clearance between the walls thereof 'suificient to avoid any difficulty in assembly. With the above'and other objects in view, the invention maybe saidto comprise the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set *forth' in the-appended I claims; together with such variations and 'modifica tionswthereof fiSfWlll bB' apparent to one skilled in the artfto which the invention ap-' pertains 1 Reference should be had to "the acom-i panying -clrawings forming a part, ofthis specification in, which Fig. 1 "is ,a top vplan view of a charging car embodying the in} vention;iFig.*2 is an end elevation of'the iii charging car; Fig. 3 isaside'elevation 0f the charging car; Fig.4 is acentral vertical section through the lower end of one of the hoppers; Fig.- 5 is a side elevation of the lowerend portion-of one ofthe'hoppers; Fig; '6: is a top plan view ofthe discharge sect-ion.- 3; f ;;.;Referring to the accompanying drawings, the charging c"ar";co11s'ists of an elongated frame a 1 mo'unted' on supporting wheels 2 which aredisposed at right angles'to the length of the frame and :Which "are adapted to travel upona track 3 which extendslover the retorts to be charged; "Mounted on the carina row lengthwise of the frame 1 are a plurality of charging hoppers, the end hoppers 4 of which aresubstantially cylindrical while the intermediate hoppers 4? are the hoppers'has atapered lower portion terminating in a discharge'opening'controlled by; a gate '5',"the; hoppers being so formed that the discharge openings are" "regularly spacedy The-gates 5 are of the usual type being 'suspe'nded arms 6 rigidly 'secured theretojand pivoted at'their upperfendsto the sides" "of the hopper," and; these gates are preferabl yfiprovided with means by which they maybeoper'a'ted from 'a single convenient point on the car, the operating means consistingof links-7 connected to thegates 5 and operating connections from the links 7 by cross beams 14; the frame workbeing to suitable operating handles 8 on anpperators platfornr 9 supported at one; side of the-frame 1. r

The frame 1 consists of longitudinally ex-- tendingsills' or girders l'O conne'ctedat intervals by cross beams '11. Rigidly connected to the frame 1 and extending upwardly therefrom areposts 12 to the upper ends'of Which are connected upper girders 13which are in turn connected at intervals "strengthened by suitably disposed diagonal braces 15.: The sheet metal body portion 16 of each hopper is supported within the 16. .Adjacent its upper edge the section 19 v is provided with integral attaching brackets- 20 which engage the opposing faces of two adjacent cross beams 11 and are adapted to be. 'boltedthereto. The discharge section 19 has a slightly enlarged upper portion- 21 whichreceives the lower end of the sheet metal body portion 16 and this upper portion 21 of thedischarge section has adiameter sufiiciently greater than the discharge end of the body portion 16 to receive the body portion with a substantial clearance all theiway around so that there will be no difficulty in positioning the discharge section with respect to the body portion of the hopper. The body portion 16 of the hopper projectsinto the discharge section 19 a dis-i tance sufiicient to provide a trap between the walls of the two sections of the hopper.

1 of sufiicient depth to prevent material work ingiip through this clearance space and spillingover the top of the discharge section. Below,the discharge end of the section 16 the discharge section 19 has a portion 22 which is offset inwardly with'respect to the portion 21 and forms an extension of the tapered walls of the hopper. In order to provide convenient means for; insuring a free flow of mate rial from the hopperthe upper portion of the discharge member 19 is pro vided ,.with an internal channel 23 which provides an openiii between the walls of the body portion of, t he hopper and the dis charge. section through which a poker may be inserted to dislodge any material which may block the flow through the outlet.

' It will be readily appreciated that applicaiit has provided at construction which permits the casting discharge section to be applied ta or removed from the hopper with veryli'ttle trouble. Furthermore, the wear upon the sheet metal port'ion ofi the hopper is much less due to the fact that the lower end portion thereof is free'to vibrate under the impact of the-material discharging from its lower end instead of being rigidly connected' to the fixed casting.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. A retort charger comprising a supporting frame, a hopper supported thereon consisting of a body portion and a discharge section mounted upon the frame independently of each other, said body portion tapering toward its lower end, the lower end of said body portion projecting into said d scharge section. p

- 2. A; retort charger comprising a sup porting frame, a hopper supported thereon, said hopper consisting of a body portion tapering toward its lower end and a dis charge 7 section forming a continuation ot the body "portion, said discharge section" being rigidly supported on the frame and saidbody portion independently of the discharge section with its lower, end projecting into said discharge section; therebeing a clearance betweenthe walls 1 of said body portion and discharge section. a V p '3. A retort charger comprising a car having 'a'frame, a hoppersupported on said frame,said-hopp'er comprising a body 'por tion the lower partof which is tapered and a tapered discharge seetionsupp'orted inde+ pendently of the body portion and receiving the lower end of the body portion, the upper end of the inclined wall of the'discharge'sedtion surrounding the lowerend fof-the body portion and spaced outwardly therefrom.

4.- A retort charger comprising a car hav ing a' frame, a hopper supported on said frame, said hopper comprising a sheet metal body portion rigidly supported on the frame and having a downward-1y tapering lower end, and; an independently supported discharge section rigidly securedto the frame independentlyof the body portion and receiving'the lower end of the, body portion,

5. A retort charger comprising a'frame, a hopper supported on said frame, said hopper consisting of a sheet metal body portion rigidlyjsupported on the frame,- and a ta pered discharge section comprising a casting rigidly secured to the frame independently of the body portion and ofgreatertransyerse dimensions-at its upper end than the lower end of saidbody portion, the lower end of saidbody portion projecting into said discharge'sectiomand a gate carried by said discharge section; l

,6. A retort charger comprising a frame, a hopper supported on said frame, said hop per havinga body portion rigidly mounted on the frame and a disoharg'e'section fixed to the frame independently ofisaid body eing supported onthe frame portion, said discharge section being of,

greater transversev dimensions than, said body portion and having the upper end portion of its Wall surrounding the lower end of said body portion and spaced outwardly therefrom, and a discharge gate carried by the discharge section. n

7.. A retort charger comprising a frame, a hopper carried by said frame, said hopper com rising a body portion and. a tapered discl iarge section rigidly supported on the frame independently of the body portion, the lower end of said body portion projecting into said discharge section, the wall of said discharge section being spaced from the body portion to provide a clearance space through which a poker may be inserted, and a discharge gate carried by said discharge section. I a

8. A retort charger comprisinga frame, a hopper carried by said frame, said hopper consisting of a sheet metal body portion supported on the frame and having a tapered lower end and a discharge section comprising a one piece casting having a tapering wall surrounding and spaced out- .wardly from the lower end of said body portion, and a discharge gate carried by said discharge section.- 9. A retort charger comprising a frame,

a hopper carried by said frame, said hopper consisting of a sheet metal body portion mounted on said frame and tapering toward its lower end and a discharge section com prising a one piece casting formed with a tapering wall and secured to the frame independently of the body portion, the wall of said discharge section surrounding the lower end of said body portion and having a channel formed therein through which a poker may be inserted, and a discharge gate carried by said hop er.

' 10. A retort c arger comprising a supporting frame and a hopper carried by said frame, said frame having upper and lower hopper supporting girders, said hopper consisting of a body portion which tapers toward its lower end and a discharge section forming a continuation of the body portion andcorrespondingly tapered, said discharge section being rigidly secured to the lower girders of the frame, and said body portion having supporting lugs engaging with the upper girders to support the said body portion with its lower end projecting into said discharge section.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

IVOR D. THOMAS. 

